Burial-vault.



No, 792,510. PATENTED JUNE 1sy 1905l R. P, FOLK.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1905.

mc, A MM' IINTTnn STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT Ottica.

RICHARD F. FOLK, OF MONTPELIER, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN G.FRIEND, OF MONTIELIER, OHIO.

BURIAL-VAULT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,510, dated June 13,1905.

Application tiled February 3,1905. Serial No. 243,961.

State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBurial -Vault-s, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in burialvaults; and it consists incertain novel con- IO structions and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure I is a perspective view of a vault embodying myinvention. Fig. Q is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a I5 partialvertical longitudinal section of the vault, and Fig. eI is a detail topplan view of one corner of the vault.

In form the vault partakes generally of the shape of a burial-casket,being designed in 2O practice to receive the casket A, as shown in I. IThe improved vault comprises the main section or body B and the cover O.

The body B has the box-like portion B', open at the top BL to receivethe casket A and extending' practically to the top of the casket, asshown in Fig. 2. The body B is also provided at its bottom with thelaterally-projecting flange B3, which extends continuously around thebase of the body, and is provided in its upper side with the continuousgroove B, preferably rounded and adapted to snugly receive the returnedportion at the lower edge of the cover O, as presently described. Itwill be noticed that the groove B4 is not formed directly adjacent tothe upright plates of the box B', but is spaced outslightly therefrom inorder to provide between the cover O and the said upright plates anupright air-space D, form- 40 ing a cushion for the air in the use ofthe vault, as presently described.

rIhe cover O is preferably formed with the top C and the depending sidesO2 and is provided at the lower edges of the sides O2 with theoutwardly-extending returned portion O3 conformed to and fitting inpractice in the groove B" and presenting at the lower edge of thedepending plates O2 an upwardly-facing hook-like portion, which extendscontinuously around the base of the cover and affords additionalresistance to removing the cover C after the vault has been placed inthe ground and earth supplied over the upwardly-facing hook C", as willbe understood from the drawings.

The grooved construction at BL and the fittingl of the returned edges O3of the cover in said groove is an important feature of the invention,together with the upwardly-projecting box-like portion within the coverand the O air-cushioning space at D, between the cover and the box, asthereby when the vault is placed in the ground the air within the vaultacting in the space D will exert a pressure to resist the entrance ofwater, and the accumulation of water in and. over the grooveB" will tendto seal the lower edge of the cover, so that the entrance of water intothe vault will be prevented, as well as the passage of air from within,so that in practice I avoid the V entrance of water into the boxcontaining the casket and also by cutting ed the supply of air securingbetter preservation of the contents of the vault than if the air werefreely admitted.

It will be understood that the main section and cover of the vault maybe of sheet-steel or other suitable material, and in forming the samethe parts may be riveted, welded, or otherwise secured together, and Imay in practice finish the sections by enanieling or coating withaluminium or other metals or otherwise, as may be desired.

It will be noticed that the cover has no lateral projections at itssides which may serve as handles, so that it is practically irnpossibleto remove the cover when once applied without very great trouble, sothat I thus render the vault in a large measure burglar-proof. It may bedesirable in some instances, however, to supply positive locks forpreventing' the removal of the cover, and to this end I may in someinstances employ the locks shown and comprising spring-pawls E,

A adapted at such end to extend approximately to the top of a casket andprovided at the bottoni of the box-lil e portion with a continuouslaterallyprojecting flange and having in the upper face of said flange acontinuous groove rounded in cross-section and spaced away Yfrom theupright plates of the box and the cover having a top, and depending sideplates, and litted over the box-like portion ol the main section withits side plates spaced away therefrom to form an upright air-Space andhaving the lower edges of thc side plates oll the cover returnedoutwardly and con- 'Formed to and littingin the groove in the bottomflange of the inain section and Vforming an upwardly-facing hook-likeportion at the base of the eover, all substantially as and Jfor thepurposes set forth.

2. A burial-vault comprising a main section having a box-like portionand a flange at the bottoni thereofl and provided in the upper face ofsaid flange with a groove and the cover fitting over the box-likeportion and having its side plates fitted at their lower edges in thegroove ol the bottoni `flange and provided with outwardly -projectingupwardly-facing hook-like portions extending around the eoversubstantially as set forth.

8. A burial-vault comprising a main section having` a box-like portionadapted to receive the casket and to extend aiiproxiinately to the topof said casket and provided at its bottoni with an oiitwardly-projecting continuous llange, and the cover fitting over the box-likeportion of the main section and spaeed away from the latter forming anair-spaceand seating at its lower edge upon the laterally-projectingflange, all substantially as and `for the purposes set forth.

RICHARD F. FULK. lVitncsses:

SoLoN (l. limioN, PERRY B. '.lUiirIN.

